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The Minister of State for Education, Mr Goodluck Opiah has decried the increasing danger and negative effect of examination malpractice on the development of the country, saying it requires all hands to be on deck to combat the menace.
Opiah stated this at a one-day sensitisation workshop on the theme; “Role of Education Stakeholders in Tackling Examination Malpractice in Nigeria” held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital on Monday.
The Minister said that tackling the menace which has eaten deep into the fabric of the system requires the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, including the government, teachers, parents and students.
He added that such efforts required total re-orientation in order to engender attitudinal change in the minds of the youths community leaders, parents and teachers as well as those in the position of authority.
“All stakeholders such as teachers, parents even students must show a high level of commitment and honesty.
“Parents should also periodically check the activities of their children and wards, which will ensure proper moral training and support punishment for offenders. The government must also put in place policies to deter such acts and punish offenders.
“Therefore all hands must be on deck to ensure total eradication of examination malpractice at all levels of education in Nigeria,” Opiah said.
In his goodwill message, the host Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel regretted that examination malpractice has become a social plague in Nigeria
and have built a strong defence over the years despite fighting against it.
Emmanuel who was represented at the event by the state commissioner for education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet said the menace is being fuelled by social media and blamed parents and school authorities for supporting and aiding their wards and students to be involved in the crime.
The state, the governor said has maintained zero tolerance for examination malpractice with adequate measures put in place to tackle this and has continued to spend at least one billion Naira annually to register students in public schools for internal and external examinations.
He said his administration has increased the construction of laboratories and constructed perimeter fences, deployed security guards and retrained teachers to improve the quality of teaching and learning and reduce examination malpractice in the area.
In his welcome address, Registrar of NECO Prof Ibrahim Wushishi said the workshop is meant to proffer strategies that could be adopted to curb the menace of examination malpractice and reorient the minds of the youths concerning the cankerworm,” as no nation develops when it’s youths indulge in sharp practices such as examination malpractice.”
“No doubt, examination malpractice has the tendency to discourage hard work among serious students, lowers education standards, discredit certificates, and lead to the production of quacks, thereby affecting the manpower needs of the nation.
“We must therefore take collective responsibility to rid them of this bad habit of wanting to cut corners,” Wushishi said.
Vice Chairman of the Senate committees on basic and secondary education Senator Akon Enyakenyi in her goodwill message commended NECO for spearheading the fight against examination malpractice and pledged the legislative backing off the Senate to strategies and efforts aimed at curing the menace in the country.
She challenged that ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government overseeing various aspects of the educational system must live up to their billing in terms of Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E), saying that it is not enough to repeat the yearly ritual of appearing before Education Committees of Federal, State and perhaps Local Government Parliaments to seek for budgetary provisions when at the end of the day, the optimal value for such spendings is not seen because of lack of adequate supervision by MDAS.
“I therefore strongly recommend that Education Committees of Parliaments should henceforth demand M & E Reports of MDAS before approving their budgets going forward, to aid the MDAS in enforcing ethics and standards by teachers, there is a need to seek collaboration with professional associations which are capable of making their members adhere to professional ethics and codes of conduct.
“It is equally important to employ qualified, professional and competent teachers who must be regularly trained and retrained for optimal service delivery.
“More than ever, private schools should be supervised to ensure compliance with minimum standards in test and measurement of learners. Our polity should equally de-emphasise paper qualification and focus more on competence and skills. On the part of Parents who now brazenly aid and abet examination malpractice.
“Government should as a matter of necessity resuscitate and make functional, Parents’ Teachers’ Association (PTA) in all primary and secondary schools across the federation The essence is to make parents share the responsibility of making education work. Let parents share the burden of guaranteeing quality education for our children and see governments’ huge investments in education as something worthy of their support.
“Law enforcement agencies like the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) as well as ant graft agencies like Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC). Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) which are most times brought in to help ensure the smooth running and conduct of examinations, should as well be incorporated as rightful stakeholders in the fight against examination malpractice. This is important because, the Police, for instance, have the duty to prosecute offenders and bring them to justice in line with extant laws.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has a duty to educate and sensitize the Nigerian public on the ills of examination malpractice.” Eyakenyi stressed.
Chairman, House of Representatives committee on basic education and services, Prof Julius Ihonvebere expressed disappointment over the increasing menace of examination malpractice in the country but called on stakeholders to deemphasise paper qualification and focus more on practical and technical education as a country without this, “remain on the pathway to destruction.
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